Tom Bottomley, 35, has an invitation to the intimate dinner close to the summit of Mount Everest.

And Mr Bottomley - who used to live in the Woodsome Valley, near Kirkburton - hopes he and his nine dining partners will not only raise thousands of pounds for charity, but also set a new world record.

They plan to sit down to a four- course meal, wearing white ties and tails, to break a 15-year record, currently held by an Australian team.

The zany adventure will see them cart all the food, wine, cigars and even the tables and chairs up to 23,000ft and then sit down for a meal on Saturday, May 1- in temperatures plummeting to -40°C.

"I'm a little bit scared," Mr Bottomley admitted today. "But what's the point of accepting a challenge if it is something you can do with your eyes shut?"

Holmfirth-born Mr Bottomley works in Leeds for an executive agency.

The Everest challenge came from a client, Henry Shelford, who is suffering from the lung disease sarcoidosis and wanted to do something to raise cash for a charity.

Mr Bottomley said: "He is determined to make the climb - despite his illness. He wanted the charity effort to be something to do with climbing and came up with this idea.

"The team we have put together are fairly novice climbers, but we have been practising hard in Snowdonia, Scotland and the Alps.

"We fly out on April 10 to acclimatise. It will be a 10-hour climb to the point where we set out the table and at least six of us have to make it to qualify for the record.

"Altitude sickness is likely to be a big problem, but we hope we will be ready."

The current record was set at 22,204ft on Mount Huascaran in Peru in June, 1989.

Mr Bottomley wants to raise cash for Kirkwood Hospice, Dalton, where his mother, Ann Gudgeon, is a volunteer. All the party are raising money for the British Lung Foundation.

The Guinness Book of Records is very specific as to what constitutes a formal dinner at altitude.

The exact menu the British climbers will be eating has yet to be determined, but the climbers are adamant that it will include wine and cigars.

And, of course, they will be properly attired.

Mr Bottomley said: "We have contacted Debretts for the correct etiquette and will be wearing white tie and tails, supplied by Moss Bros. One has to do this thing correctly."

* For further details see the group's website on www.formaldinner.co.uk